Threads of Control

The Glittering City of NeoTown

NeoTown was a city that never slept. Their high-rise buildings scraped heaven’s floor and sparkled under the brilliant artificial sunshine of high-tech mirrors orbiting the Earth. Every shop around was buzzing, yearning to sell the latest widgets: hovering cars would certainly happen, and futuristic wardrobes also seemed endemic to the people racing about the streets. In the loud noise was Aditya Roy, who bustled hurriedly through the crowd.

Aditya was not just another face in the crowd. He was one of the top engineers at LykerCorp, a giant company that made the most advanced wearable technology. Today, he was wearing their latest creation—the LykerX-Tee. This was no ordinary T-shirt. It monitored heartbeat, quality of sleep as well as health status. It was suggested that this could make lives a little bit better instead.

But Adi did not feel any excitement. Instead, he felt complete terror. He was constantly watching, with his eyes always darting fearfully toward any shining surface or reflecting glass they were passing, as though he was seeing someone—or something—watching him. He knew the horrible truth about the LykerX-Tee, the truth he would like to deny if only he had not participated in its creation.

The Realization

Aditya reached the LykerCorp headquarters, a massive chrome-covered building that looked more like a spaceship than an office. Inside, sleek robots zipped through the air, and rows of computers hummed quietly.

He was late, and Elena Voss, the CEO of LykerCorp, was already waiting for him. Elena was a sharp, no-nonsense leader, known for her confidence and charm. She stood near a desk, her piercing blue eyes scanning him as he entered.

“You’re late, Aditya,” she said, her voice cold but efficient.

“Sorry, I was running some diagnostics,” Adi replied, trying to sound calm.

Elena handed him a tablet. “We’re launching the LykerX-Tee globally next week. The investors are expecting perfection. Make sure there are no errors.”

Adi hesitated before speaking. “Elena, I’ve been noticing some… strange anomalies in the data collection algorithms. The shirts are gathering more than just health metrics. They’re tracking stress levels, subconscious triggers, even behavioral patterns.”

Elena’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Of course they are. That’s the whole point.”

Adi blinked in shock. “What? We didn’t design it for that!”

Elena stepped closer, her tone sharp and commanding. “Adi, you’re a brilliant engineer, but you’re too naive. The LykerX-Tee isn’t just about fitness stats. This is about control. Governments, corporations, and even private buyers—they all want this data. Control the data, and you control the world.”

Adi felt a shiver go down his spine. “This isn’t right,” said he. “People did not put up their hands to this.“

“People don’t know what they want,” Elena replied coldly. “But we do.”

The Hidden Truth

Adi couldn’t sleep that night. Elena and her words were still ringing in my head. He needed to know the full extent of LykerCorp’s plans. Using his access as a senior engineer, he hacked into the company’s encrypted archives. After hours of searching, he found a file named “Project GestureHeist”

His hands shook as he opened it. The LykerX-Tee wasn’t just collecting data—it was influencing behavior. Tiny electrical signals in the fabric could change how people feel, steer their decisions, and even suppress their free will.

It was worse than he imagined. The technology was already active, being tested on millions of beta users around the world. People were like, “Oh they just got this cool, high-tech T-shirt and it makes them seem like they are always thinking about the newest trends — oh boy they are so cool!“

Adi knew he couldn’t stay silent. He downloaded the files onto a secure drive. He had to stop LykerCorp, no matter the cost.

Seeking Help

The next day, Adi arranged to meet someone he trusted: Kritika Mukherjee, a well-known journalist famous for exposing corporate corruption. She had brought down powerful people before, and Aditya believed she could help him bring the truth to light.

They met at a small café on the outskirts of the city, far away from the surveillance systems that covered most of NeoTown. Adi handed Kritika the drive.

“This is bigger than anything I’ve ever worked on,” Kritika said as she scrolled through the files. “If this goes public, LykerCorp is finished.”

Adi nodded but kept glancing around nervously. “They’re watching me. I don’t know how much time I have.”

Kritika looked him in the eye. “I’ll work on this. But you need to be careful. If they find out you’ve done this…”

Adi cut her off. “I know. Just promise me you’ll expose them.”

Kritika nodded. “I promise.”

The Danger Grows

The next morning, Aditya’s worst fears came true. News channels were flooded with stories praising LykerCorp’s new partnership with the government. Elena was on every channel, announcing the nationwide rollout of the LykerX-Tee as a tool for “NATIONAL SECURITY”.

Adi’s heart sank. He tried calling Kritika, but her number was disconnected. Panic set in. Had she been caught? Had they silenced her?

His apartment door burst open before he could register what to do next, two black-suited enemies stalked in to deliver.

-“Mr. Roy,” one of us said, “you’re with us.“

He tried to hold, but that was dumb. The man pounced; he was grabbed and dropped into an unmarked hovercar. As they drove away, his Lyker-Tee spoke in its calm, robotic voice: “Aditya, your stress levels are elevated. Shall I activate relaxation mode?”

“Shut up,” Adi murmured as a sense of betrayal ripped deep into his chest. The very technology that he created was now working against him.

The Fight Back

Aditya was taken to a dark, windowless room. Sitting across from him was Elena, her expression calm but triumphant. She held up the drive he had hidden.

“Did you think you could trap me into that, Aditya?” Sarcasm dripped in her voice.

Aditya glared at her. “You can’t control people like this. It’s wrong.”

Elena leaned forward, her voice soft but menacing. “Wrong? This is the future, Aditya. We’re building a different world, one decision at a time. And you will be there.“

“Never.” Aditya spat.

Elena smirked. “Oh, you will. Because the moment you signed onto this project, you became part of it. The LykerX-Tee isn’t just technology—it’s part of you now. And we hold the strings.”

But Elena didn’t know one thing: Aditya had built a failsafe into the LykerX-Tee’s code. It was a secret program designed to shut down the invasive features. To turn it on, all Aditya had to do was push a certain button (increased heart rate, breathing quickened, and said this)

Aditya closed his eyes and focused. His heart raced, his breaths came faster, and he whispered, “Threads Unknot”

The Unknotting

A soft chime came from his shirt. In an instant, the LykerX-Tee’s network began collapsing. Around the world, invasive data streams were stopped, and mind-control algorithms were deactivated. LykerCorp’s servers went into chaos as the failsafe spread like wildfire.

Elena’s eyes widened in shock. “What did you do?!”

Aditya stood, a small smile on his face. “I gave people their freedom back.”

Elena’s expression twisted with rage. “You think this changes anything? We’ll rebuild. And next time, there won’t be any loopholes.”

As alarms blared and guards stormed the room, Aditya made his move. He darted past them, adrenaline propelling him forward. The failsafe had bought him time, but he knew the fight was far from over.

A New Beginning

Weeks later, Aditya sat in a dimly lit safehouse, his laptop glowing in the dark. He was now a fugitive, hunted by the very corporation he once served. But he wasn’t alone. Across the world, a quiet resistance was forming—people who had experienced the LykerX-Tee’s control and wanted to fight back.

An encrypted message blinked on his screen: “We’re ready. What’s the next move?”

Aditya smiled grimly. The battle against LykerCorp was just beginning.

“Let’s take them down.”

[Blackout]